how he feels about potentially coming face to face with the alleged killer new images of the crowd fleeing after the new year's eve machete attack on nypd officers the suspect now charged. was it a terrorist act? new troubles as holiday travelers make their way home why thousands of flights are canceled or delayed ain actor jeremy renner airlifted to the hospital after he was critically iured in a snow plowing accident what we're learning. and our tribute to a tv trailblazer the legendary barbara walters. >> announcer: this is nbc "nightly news" with lester holt good evening it is good to be back with you and happy new year this holiday season that has seemingly been bookended with severe weather is spawning some new and dangerous threats tonight. as we come on the ai tornado watches are in effect, stretching from east texas to arkansas and louiana.

already we're starting to see damage reports come in. while in the west parts of california are bracing for another powerful storm later this week onhe heels of this weekend's deadly blast of rain, snow and wind that led to some harrowing water rescues. we'll take you there in a moment. but first bill karins is at the map with tonight's threat to the south. bill, what are you watching >> lester, this is as dangerous as it gets over the last hour we've been tracking a tornado, a strong confirmed tornado on the ground norther louisiana, and it's wrapped in rain. so you can'tee it's coming and at night you wouldn't be able to see it anyways so this is the scenario that we're going to deal with throughout the overnight hours as these storms will move northward. also on top of this we have flash flood warnings that are up for the same areas that werpotentially just hit by the strong tornado. and this flash flood threat will go northwards toward little rock, paducah as we go through the evening. then overnight we're going to continue to watch these storms headed toward paducah, memphis, eventually into mississippi, all of louisiana and this isn't over yet because tomorrowe're going to see this line of storms continuing all the way down to the gulf coast, so from new orleans to montgomery, alabama

everyone's at risk and on top of this we have the cold side of this storm with a lot of heavy snow. someone in south dakota and nebraska will end up with one to two feet of snow by the time we get done with the storm tomorrow lester >> all right, bill thanks very much this all of course comes on the heels of flash flooding on the west coast dangerous flood waters led to more rescues today in northern california as the region braces for another series of storms here's miguel almaguer >> reporter: the daring and dramatic rescues unfolded all weekend across california and continued today. a devastating deluge triggering a flurry of emergency calls as the suddenly stranded were plucked from submerged cars, flooded roads and homes that took on water. this woman who tried to cross a swamped street this morning thanking rescue teams who likely saved her life >> if it wasn't for you guys, we'd be in lot of trouble and don't do nothing

stupid like i did. >> reporter: after days of relentless rain northern california was pummeled with the brunt of a powerful atmospheric river, a band of moisture pouring onto the coast. in san francisco, where the city nearly broke its single-day rainfall record, pedestrians floated down busy streets. others used kayaks or surfboards atewide as roads remain impassable some are still under evacuation orders. >> it was like mother nature came alive and declared war on sacramento >> reporter: in sacramto county where there's been at least one death authorities are bracing for more >> i've worked for the cosumnes fire department, or previously the elk grove fire department for 21 years this is the most significant flooding i've seen in this area in those 21 years. >> reporter: with two more atmospheric rivers expected to hammer the state later this week mudslides, rock slides and flooding are a major concern, especially with the ground already saturated. lester >> miguel almaguer,

thank you. another majo story tonight, the outpouring of grief and remembrance after the death of former pope benedict xvi. today at the vatican tens of thousands lining up at st. per's basilica, where the body of the pope emeritus lay in state ahead of thursday's funeral molly hunter reports now from the vatican ♪ >> reporter: tonight the body of pope benedict xvi lying in state in st. peter's basilica an estimated 65,000 people filed through today to say their final good-byes. [ speaking non-english over the weekend pope francis paid tribute to his predecessor, calling him "so noble, so kind. the two men held wildly different worldviews and visions of the church. born joseph ratzinger in 1927, he was the first german pope in more than 1,000 years. a theologian, a strict

conservative who put hot-button political issues at the center of his papacy, opposing same-sex marriage and women priests. critics accused him of not doing enough in the church's sex abuse scandal. but today those waiting in line personally him >> he remains a fundamentaperson for my life. and it's important for me to be here in rome. it is like when a father dies his sons go to him. >> reporter: felipo toso took an overnight trip from venice to rome this morning to be one of the first. >> how was it? >> amazing it was not important to see but to be and to be here >> reporter: mark patorek, an american catholic living and work in rome, had the ra chance to visit pope benedict lying in rest at his convent home on sunday >> i've been bringing people to rome for 20 years. it was the highlight of all my time in rome >> reporter: history will remember benect as a traditionalist who bucked centuries of tradition, retiring in 2013. a radical precedent that will define the

future of the vatican. >> molly joining us now from the vatican molly, what are we learning this evening about former pope benedict's funeral arrangements >> reporter: we understand that pope francis will preside over the funeral mass on thursday morning just behind me in st. peter's square lester, we are also learning tonight where benedict will be buried in the same vatican vault under st. peter's basilica as pope john paul ii. lester >> molly, thanyou. turning now to the war in ukraine, russia tonight acknowledging a ukrainian strike kill dozens of its troops while ukraine puts the number in the hundreds matt bradley is in kyiv with more on how russia is retaliating. >> reporter: tonight ukraine's single deadliest attack against russia in months using american-supplied himars rockets to level this vocational college that russia had beensing as a barracks for newly recruited troops in the east russia's ministry of defense saying 63 russian soldiers died. earlier today ukraine's military

said as many as 400 newly recruited russian soldiers were killed still, russia firing back, far from the front lines. kyiv's mayor said air defens shot down 39 russian drones that swarmed the capital overnight. "at night i heard a very strong bump," said this man. "the furniture even moved. the attacks mostly targeted the power grid, leaving many ukrainians without heat and electricity in the bitter cold russia has launched these attacks since the fall, usually around once a week but now they're daily. this was the fifth straight day of bombardments do you think that the russians can run out of missiles, run out of drones? >> translator: on the drones it depends on how many iran would be able to supply to russia and how strong western sanctions would be in reducing that supply. but missiles, now russians are using their untouched spares >> reporter: he credits anti-air weapons provided by the u.s. and europe for swatting down most of the missiles and drones, helping keep

the lights on on the home front as this war stretches into the new year and tonight ukraine's president zelenskyy warned ukrainians that russia is planning another prolonged attack with those iranian-made drones. lester >> matt bradley, thank you. back home we are learning new details about the suspect arrested in pennsylvania for the murders of four idaho college students and gadi schwartz oke with the father of one of the victims as thelleged killer prepares to make his first court appearance >> reporter: tonight 28-year-old bryan kohberger sits in a pennsylvania jail hours away from an extradition hearing that could send him back to idaho, where police say he killed four college students. family members of the victims, madison mogen, xana kernodle, ethan chapin and kaylee goncalves, now acing for the moment they may come face to face wh the prime suspect in court tonight we spoke with kaylee's father steve. >> do you want to see this suspect with your own eyes >> yes, definitely i want this guy to get -- whoever this person that was responsible

for this, i want him to be sick of seeing us and sick of knowing that these people won't let it go. >> reporter: steve goncalves says the family had never heard of kohberger until the arrest and says he's relieved to see the progress in the case but that he's waiting to see all the evidence police have >> i feel a sense that we're on the right track to where i can say i n let my guard down a little bit. but we definitely still have a lot of work to do >> reporter: and tonight we're learning more about the suspect. austin morrison says kohberger was a teaching assistant in a criminal justice class he took at washington state >> just rather quiet, very off to the side, standoffish. he sat in the class, didn't do a whole lot. >> reporter: kohberger'public defender saying his client was shocked by his arrest and will not fight extradition to idaho >> he believes he will be exonerated. >> reporter: he says kohberger traveled by car from washington to pennsylvania with his father, who said his son was acting normally police seizing a white hyundai elantra at kohberger's parents' home in pennsylvania the same model they say was seen near the crime scene around the time of the attack two law enforcement sources familiar with

the investigation tell nbc news that dna evidence played a role in leading investigators to the suspect. meanwhile, steve goncalves is still reeling from the loss of his 21-year-old daughter >> our next mission is really to find justice and make sure that we have a closing chapter that meets the expectations of all the families >> gadi, the suspect's attorney says he won't fight extradition. it won't be until after that that he's back in idaho that we start to get some real answers here >> reporter: that's right, lester. and we understand that authorities are now saying when he is brought back to idaho they will finally be able to unseal that probable cause statement in court and that probable cause statement is likely to specify a lot more of the evidence they are using against him including potential dna. lester >> all right gadi schwartz, thank you. ere are new images in tonight of people rushing into a new york city pizzeria on new year's eve after that machete attack on three nypd officers the 19-year-old suspect charged today with two counts of

attempted murder of police officers and attempted assault. a terror investigation is also under way, with authorities saying the suspect made a pro-jihadi statement from his hospital bed all three officers were treated and released also tonight a new congress is preparing to be sworn in with republicans back in control of the house for the first time since 2018 tomorrow's house speaker vote will be a major test for gop leader kevin mccarthy, who is still scrambling to lock up the votes he needs garrett haake is on capitol hill with latest >> reporter: tonight republicans are just hours away from taking back control of the house, hoping to tackle an ambitious conservative agenda. but tomorrow they have to elect a speaker and that may be harder than it sounds >> do you have the votes for speaker tomorrow >> reporter: republican leader kevin mccarthy, who won the party's nomination for the job in november, now faces a small right-wing revolt more than a dozen members preparing to oppose him with republicans' narrow majority it's

enough votes to keep him out of the speaker's job. >> there's nothing he's done to earn my vote cartelart of the swamp >> reporter: nine republicans releasg a letter pressing mccarthy for rule changes including making it easier to remove a speaker but mccarthy has the support of former president trump and several high-profile house conservatives. and his allies are urging the party to unite around him, hoping to avoid a speaker's race going beyond the first ballot for the first time in 100 years. late tonight a top house conservative urging colleagues to vote for mccarthy. >> i hope we can come together and we get focused on what we've got to do. >> reporter: republicans hoping to settle their leadership debate and focus on their agenda, including targeting biden administration priorities like hiring new irs agents and ramping up investigations of covid, the record migrant surge on the southern border, and the fbi. >> we can't do anything until we elect that speaker we've got so much work behind us and we need to start on the very first day. >> reporter: the senate also returns to

work tomorrow, with democrats holding a one-seat advantage the narrow margins in both chambers means 2023 will either be a year of bipartisanship or of gridlock and dysfunction. lester >> garrett haake at the capitol. thank you. in 60 seconds, new travel troubles as millions return home from the holidays. and later, actor jeremy renner critically injured in a snow plowing accident the latest on his condition.

for many americans the holiday travel season is ending the way it began, with flight delays and cancellations. tom costello tonight on the new wrinkles in the battle to get home >> reporter: on this big post-new year's travel day mounting delays and cancellations yet again. fog in denver and gridlock in florida after an air traffic control computer failure cut traffic to a trickle. stuck on the runway in palm beach nbc news producer jason calabreta. >> we've been stuck on the tarmac for almost

two hours. the pilot says it's a problem for the entire state of florida we are still unsure when we might take off. >> reporter: today's delays come after southwest airlines' multiday meltdown stranded hundreds of thousands last week. flying to portugal on vacation, the mullaney family's southwest flight from little rock to new york was canceled, forcing them to spend $3,000 to buy tickets on american, fly to philly, stay in a hotel, then rent a car to jfk to fly to lisbon where tom mullaney, who flies 100 times a year on business, says he's already switching to other carriers. >> i spend a lot of time on southwest airlines and the issue becomes now that i don't know that i can trust them. >> reporter: southwest has promised to reimburse families like the mullaneys for all related travel expenses, conceding the airline's scheduling system is antiquated ceo bob jordan e-mailed employees this weekend, "we have plans to invest in tools and technology

and processes, but there will be immediate work to understand what happened." the president of the pilots union told us today there is no time to waste >> they're going to have to do it quickly. and we're going to have to see some real answers and a real, you know, map as to what's going to occur over the next week, over the next month, and really over the next three to four months because it really can't be delayed longer than that >> tom, let me get back to that situation in florida a lot of planes fly in that air space what'st looking like right now? >> we just checked the faa says it s now resolved the florida air traffic control computer problems we still do have lingering delays, up to three hours in palm beach, and the other trouble spots are orland fort lauderdale, dallas, denver and san francisco, lester. >> all right tom costello with the latest thank you. we're back in a moment with the latest on actor jeremy renner and the accident that left him critically injured while snow plowing.

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hahair stylistst and cheererle. -it's time t to get up.. -n-no so adddding a “student"t” tie might fefeel overwhehelmin. -it's time t to get up.. -n-no but whwhat if a scschool could bebe there foror all of? carereer, familyly, finas and mentntal health.h. it's comingng along. carereer, familyly, finas and mentntal health.h. wewell, it canan. nanational uniniversity. suppororting the w whole y. actor jeremy renner is in critical condition tonight in a reno hospital. renner was injured in a new year's day accident outside his home kristen dahlgren now with the latest. >> reporter: video obtained by tmz appears to show the chopper airlifting two-time oscar nominee jeremy renner after a snow plowing accident near his lake tahoe home >> get a plow going that direction >> reporter: the snow so deep dispatchers didn't know if the emergency flight would be able to touch down. >> flight is en route but unknown if they can land in feet of snow

>> reporter: authorities say renner was the only person involved in the accident renner's rep confirms "jeremy is in critical but stable condition with injuries suffered after experiencing a weather-related accident while plowing snow." tmz reporting renner was trying to clear the road after the new year's eve storm when the owcat accidentally rolled over his leg, causing severe blood loss. nbc news has not verified this. e 51-year-old often posted video from what called his happy place, showing mountains of snow and even himself driving the giant snow plow. the actotor who shotot to fame in 2008's "the hurt l locker" andnd went on to become an avengers action hero, is also well known for his love of machinery and home improvement >> all rigight here we gogo >> reporter: he was set to star in a show helping communities around the world with

"rennervations" but is tonight in the hospital with his family at hiside and what may be a difficult recovery ahead. kristen dahlgren, nbc news when we come back, she changed the face of network television news remembering the trailblazing career of barbara walters.

fred white of earth, wind & fire died over the weekend. white was a drums

prodigy playing on some of the band's biggest hits including "shining star. brother and bandmate verdine white said "freddy is now drumming with the angels." fred white was 67. the death of barbara walters has moved so many including us at nbc, where she broke into the business and first rose to fame as cynthia mcfadden reports, she not only blazed a trail for women, she set a standard for all of us >> i'm barbara walters at the nbc news center here in new york >> reporter: it's hard to imagine what network news would have been like if it weren't for barbara walters. >> we alproudly stand on your shoulders, barbara walters. >> reporter: we all showed up to pay our respects when she stepped downrom the program she created. "the view. >> meredith vira >> reporter: what do we say without you there wouldn't be us >> this isis my legacycy these arare my legacacy. >> reporteter: in a male-domininated worldld at the time she spent years playing second

fiddle to her male co-anchors at the "today" show -- >> i could not ask a question until he had asked three. >> reporter: the situation didn't improve much when she made that high-profile jump to abc. >> i kept time on your stories and mine tonight. you owe me four minutes. >> reporter: telling friends she knew she had to find a new role she soon did as the co-anchor of "20/20" she cast a wide net heads of state, murderers, movie stars all got the same intense treatment. she was famous for making many of them cry. she said she didn't do it on purpose. hmm. >> you caught me off guard. i'm sorry. >> reporter: she was her own best booker and meticulous in her research her producers said she was involved in the edit of every interview. she e never leararned to drdrive. she was crusty and competitive, soft-hearted and generous it wasn't that she didn't get knocked down along the way it's just that she always got back up and that changed

things, for her and for the rest of us cynthia mcfadden, nbc news, new rk >> a true legend in the field. that's "nightly news" for this monday. thank you for watching i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other. good night ♪♪ ♪♪

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snet ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ cheers & applause ] >> kelly: hello, everybody, welcome to "the kelly clarkson show," happy new year. all week we are digging into the best ways to take care of ourselves with new me in 23. ♪♪ ♪ ♪ new me in '23 ♪

>> kelly: baby, my edition to that. let's hear it for my band, y'all, they're so talented and gifted, i am so blessed to work with every one of them. that was a classic '80s song "the warriors" who i called petty smith my entire life. you learn something new here on "the kelly clarkson show," she passed on the offer when she was pregnant. she went onto have a solo career that landed her an oscar nomination. we are lucky to have to start out the new year with one of the most talented actress. this latest project of hers, if you didn't know, she was an incredible actor, your mind is going to be blown. you know her as harley quinn and movies like "once upon a time in hollywood," her new film is insanely good. it is

called "babylon," give it up for margot robbie! [ cheers & applause ] [ cheers ] >> kelly: i know, i know. i am so honored to be here. i am such a big fan of you before "babylon." >> first of all, you are an icon. >> kelly: y'all are going to be blown away. >> if you just had new year's eve, you are going to relive that. >> kelly: it is like new year's eve on lsd. okay, i

am going to get to it. i want to start with you first but you're more important. what are you going to do this year? i don't like making resolutions because i always fail so we are going to do what are you going to do better at or what are you doing for yourselves this year? >> i make ridiculous solutions that it is obtainable. some are achievable like i want to learn to make jam and i was able to accomplish it. >> kelly: was it good jam? >> it was really good. i would buy it instead of making it. >> kelly: it is a process. >> anyway, this year was on my list. last year i didn't get around to it. i really want to play the banjo. >> kelly: oh my gosh. my band play everything, specifically. >> i am ready. ♪♪

>> kelly: i am just saying -- >> when do you start? >> tomorrow. >> i have been looking for a banjo teacher. >> kelly: why banjo, i am curious? >> i don't know, it seems like a great instrument. i love the sound of it. i think it is funny on a camping trip and i play some music just to freak people out, hide in the tree and do it. >> kelly: i think if you will yell squeal. >> if you are going to get that reference and hopefully, they'll pick up. >> kelly: oh my god. >> i have been learning french and i want to be fluent. >> kelly: i have been learning spanish for decades. it is unless you practice it everyday. my brain does not work like that. well, i could read it but speaking - that's the hardest thing.

>> yes, with french, i am good with reading it and i am hearing it and as soon as i am going -- i am like -- >> kelly: and you tense up and you never heard the language in your entire life. >> my amazing co-star, diego, he's done this entire journey with him and i still don't know. my spanish has not improved at all. he, meanwhile learned his english perfectly. he's remarkable. >> kelly: it is remarkable that people can pick it up quickly. so many people bilingual and trilingual. >> i speak australian and american and english -- >> kelly: that's different, totally. i love austria. that was my first place. it was the first place i went. i had no idea rugby was and it was huge. it was like y'all's